CINCINNATI (AP) - Reds outfielder Austin Kearns got a small cast on his left forearm Tuesday after breaking a bone when he was hit by a pitch.

Ryan Vogelsong's pitch hit Kearns just above the wrist in the first inning Monday night in Pittsburgh. X-rays detected a break in a forearm bone.

While the Reds headed to Milwaukee for a series, Kearns returned to Cincinnati and had more tests that confirmed the break. The Reds will have a better idea of how long he'll be sidelined when Kearns is examined again next Monday.

It's the second year in a row that Kearns has been hurt early in the season.

He played in only 82 games last year because of a shoulder injury. He hurt his right shoulder while sliding into home May 21 and later had surgery to fix significant damage.

He wasn't fully recovered when spring training opened but got better as it went along. He was in a 2-for-23 slump that dropped his average to .137 when he was hit.